Page 85 of Líadan's Code

“You fucked up didn’t you?” she says, hand outstretched for the money. I take it back. She sees too much. “Mr. Jordan is a perfectly nice man. Fix this.”

The owner overcharges me, but I don’t blink an eye as I hand over the money. I’ll shelve it under life advice. Sighing as I take my bag filled with delicious food cartons, I thank her.

“It’s complicated, but I’m working on it,” I grumble, turning away. I move quickly, smirking when a restaurant menu hits the floor where I just was standing. She has a reputation for swatting dumb people.

Guess my life choices put me firmly in that category.

I wasn’t lying though, this shit is complicated.

Sliding into the chair across from Jordan, a part of me is surprised he waited. I know he sought me out, but still.

“I’ll get right to it, because the Princess is waiting for you,” he says in a detached tone. “I put together a list of everyone who was there the night of her seventeenth birthday. I found the NDAs in a file deep in Seán’s personal folders on his computer. He gave me access to everything, not realizing I could see it all. I don’t think he looped his tech guy into that information. Anyway, I’ll send you that information so that you can do what you want with it. It appears your meeting will have some of the people on my list.”

“You… how… I can’t believe you were able to find that,” I stumble. “This is why you tracked me down?”

He has a shoulder bag across his body that I didn’t notice because it’s under his coat. Pulling out a tablet, he shrugs.

“Sure as fuck isn’t for unrequited love,” he snarks. “I know where I’m not wanted, but felt she may like closure. I’m going to send this to you, but I need a phone number.”

“Jordan,” I rasp. “For what it’s worth, she misses you.”

Ignoring me, he opens up another tab, turning it to show me.

“Skyler decided to relocate, so Cormac no longer has a tech guy. I convinced him that it would be better for his health if he left, and he contacted a friend of mine to disappear,” he continues.

“Seán’s funeral is in a little over three days, which I’m sure you’ve heard. People aren’t too happy about having their planes grounded, but it doesn’t look like they’ll have too much longer to worry about it.”

Jordan is very blasé about the death of a large group of people, and it only manages to make my dick hard, despite his cool tone. We did leave him. What did we expect? For him to yell and scream that we abandoned him?

That’s not Jordan’s style, though I don’t know what I expected.

“This was supposed to be her birthday present, she may as well get it before she removes their useless lives in another manner,” he says cooly.

I recite my number numbly so he can send the file to me, vaguely aware that now he can contact me this way instead of stalking my ass. Goddamn, I may come in my pants like the sorry fucker I am.

Shifting in my seat, I hold back a wince as I get my thoughts together. This gives Lía the time to divert the people at her birthday auction to another location if she wants to. Taking a deep breath, I see this for the generous gift that it is. I was never able to figure out who was there that night.

“I think this is the best present that she’s ever been given,” I say as he hits a few buttons to send over the file. “Jordan… I’m so?—”

“My food is getting cold,” he says, taking a deep breath. His hands are bare, and my heart flip flops at the sight of them. It’s shit weather, and he’s traipsing along the streets, creating havoc without his fucking gloves. Even his scarf is loose around his neck and I can see a blood vessel in his neck jumping furiously.

Not completely unaffected by me, I see. Good.

My phone is buzzing wildly in my pocket, but I leave it to freak out as I gaze at Jordan as he puts away his tablet. His sun-kissed hair is well hidden under his hat, and his torso is hidden from me by the warm green T-shirt that’s pulled across his chest.

My mouth waters because I know what lies beneath it, but Jordan’s demeanor is clearly reminding me that I chose between the two of them.

“Are you staying safe?” I ask, looking for a wince as his back muscles pull each time he shifts his weight. He doesn’t look as if he’s uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean shit.

Dr. Kurtz has his own pharmaceutical company and some of the best medical treatments, and many of them aren't even on the market. I keep my commentary to myself as I gaze at Jordan, swallowing hard. I drop my mask for him, showing him how sorry I am.

“Yep,” he says, standing. “I’ll be leaving soon, I expect. Don’t see any reason to stay. Keep her safe.”

Surging to my feet, I’m still too late to grab his arm as he walks away. Grabbing my takeout bag, I follow him out, but almost run into a patron as he walks in.

“I’m so sorry,” I murmur as I disentangle myself from the near collision.

“You, stop running into people,” I get yelled at from the front of the restaurant, making me grit my teeth. Sweet woman my ass.

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